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Author Topic:  Dobro mic
Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 27 Jul 2016 7:54 am    
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I'm looking at two different mics, in the $150 range. Which one would you use, and why?

K&K Silver Bullet
http://www.kksound.com/products/silverbullet.php

Audio-Technica PRO-35
http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/8b8850105bdc46d6/

Both have XLR connections, which I desire for my setup. I'm not interested in mics in a higher price range.
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Dave Thier


From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 27 Jul 2016 9:56 am    
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I have the K&K Silver Bullet. It works pretty well but as with everything it has pros and cons.

Pros:
It's a hot mic and sounds pretty good.
It attaches easily to the coverplate and can be directed where you want it.
Works with phantom power or not.
Moves easily from one instrument to another.
Allow me to move around and not be tethered to a mic stand.

Cons:
No way to shut it off or control gain.
I wish there was an easy way to attach the preamp to my belt.
Cord to preamp is lightweight RG 174 coax.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 27 Jul 2016 12:06 pm    
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Thanks Dave. I am actually leaning towards that one. Another forum said to use a modified cell phone case for the phantom box.

I do like the idea that it can be self powered.
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Sonny Jenkins


From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
Post  Posted 27 Jul 2016 12:25 pm    
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Scott, some time ago Carroll Benoit recommend an Apex 565 to me,,,I have one but never really used it because I didn't have access to XLR plug in.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 27 Jul 2016 1:40 pm    
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That Apex is interesting....
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Joe Breeden

 

From:
Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 28 Jul 2016 10:22 am    
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Scott I have been looking at ways to amplify my resonator, so thanks for your post. I was looking at the P/UP that National sells. Dual humbucker. It's in the same price range and Lace has one just like it for less. Would like Forum opinions. Thanks Joe
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 28 Jul 2016 10:28 am    
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For others that might be interested in the Apex 565, here is the website... http://apexelectronics.com/microphones/live/instrument/product/apex565/
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 28 Jul 2016 10:40 am    
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I done some reading on the stick on pickups (that go right below the neck) and the info I get is that the dobro starts sounding like an electric acoustic guitar.

Knowing what I do know about micing instruments, the dobro would need a cardioid condenser mic, with a flat frequency curve.

Of all other the mics mentioned above, the K&K Silver Bullet has a more robust way to adapt from the mic output to a XLR cable, and also the preamp is built in to that box.

Plate pickups probably do a much better job, but are way out of my price range.

Maybe this thread will help others...
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 28 Jul 2016 10:49 am    
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For the mics that use the XLR Barrel adapter, there are clips for those connectors available...


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Michael Brebes

 

From:
Northridge CA
Post  Posted 29 Jul 2016 5:37 am    
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I have the pro version of the Audio Technica Pro-35, the ATM series, and it works very well. I had no problem clipping the mini gooseneck into the existing holes in the cover. The mic has a very good sound. The ATM series version sounds a little bit better but at twice the price.
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Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso

Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 29 Jul 2016 6:50 am    
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Thanks Michael!
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Jerry Overstreet


From:
Louisville Ky
Post  Posted 30 Jul 2016 12:44 pm    
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FWIW, Taylor builds a V cable which is an instrument cable with a volume control built in. I use one of these for acoustic, mandolin, dobro etc. Great for where a volume control is either absent or hard to access in a hurry at your electronics. This puts volume control right at your fingertips at the jack for about $45. http://www.elderly.com/taylor-v-cable-guitar-cable-with-built-in-volume-control.htm

http://www.jpstrings.com/braccess.htm#Cables John Pearse at Breezy Ridge offers a volume control on a 1 ft. cable that plugs between your instrument and cable too for about $25.
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Ron Kassof

 

From:
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Post  Posted 31 Jul 2016 7:26 am    
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I've heard good things about the [url]Myers gooseneck pickups[/url]. It looks like they're 1/4" out though.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2016 7:36 am    
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I just saw pics of a bluegrass group that played here locally this weekend, and it looked like every instrument had the Myers "goose neck pickup" on them.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2016 8:55 am    
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Well, here's what I came up with so far...
I have 4 different condenser mics, a MXL 990, a MXL 991, a Peavey PVM480 (all phantom powered) and an old Radio Shack (that uses a AA battery).

I also had a clamp on boom I used for my vocal mic when I had my pedal steel.

And, I re-purposed and modified an old piano stand my wife had...



Here a pic with the dobro off the stand...



The mic on the stand is the MXL 991, which sounds pretty good, pointed into one of the screened sound holes.

That will do until I get some funds to by a good mini dobro mic.

By the way, to make the piano stand work, I had to figure out how to cut one side of the upper part to make up for the dobro thickness.
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Jim Bates

 

From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2016 5:51 am    
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You should a get more balanced tone by placing the mic over the cover plate at the 2 o'clock position (when you view the cover when playing). Placing mic over sound hole will give you a muddy, bassy tone, and also it's more prone to feedback. However, if that is what you want, do it.

Thanx,
Jim
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2016 6:09 am    
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I realized that after the picture. Thanks Jim.
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John Ed Kelly

 

From:
Victoria, Australia
Post  Posted 7 Aug 2016 11:05 pm    
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I have just started practicing with a 4 piece acoustic guitar group, as an adjunct to the jazz group i'm playing with. It's a band-within-a-band, so to speak.

Even now I notice that I have a volume problem (lack of, that is), so I have been following a couple of the SGF threads with interest.

One thing I decided was, that purchasing a commercial mic was just not for me, with respect to the $$ in would need to spend. Aussie dollars converted from US$ is outrageously expensive. I rang two shops for prices and was knocked sideways - not only could I not get a look at those brands discussed here - It seems that I would probably have to commit myself sight unseen (and ear, unheard) to any of them.

So...I looked through my boxes of ''stuff'' and found a pair of TDK HP100 over-the-ear headphones. I don't know where they came from (an airline perhaps?) and I don't know how much they are worth, but they work quite well, a speaker is just a mic in reverse.

Here's some pictures of the ''set-up'' - for want of a better word - and also a picture of the amp I'm using - it's a 90W Aussie made job, by Jade.

I'm not expecting to use a rubber band permanently, and maybe I'll cannibalise the headphone and use just the one earpiece - it's a work in progress.




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Stan Paxton


From:
1/2 & 1/2 Florida and Tenn, USA (old Missouri boy gone South)
Post  Posted 8 Aug 2016 7:49 pm    
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Jerry, Scott, or who ever wants to chime in. The V-cable you mentioned, Jerry, sounds ideal for me, if it would work on the Fishman built-in PU in my Gold Tone, since there is no volume control on it. Do any of you know if V-Cable would work well for this application. ... I'm a little bit dumb about Dobro stuff being a slow beginner (and an old guy). Embarassed ...
thanks for your help
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Jerry Overstreet


From:
Louisville Ky
Post  Posted 8 Aug 2016 8:36 pm    
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Stan, I have used the V cable with my dobros, one with a Fishman Nashville pickup, acoustic guitar with an internal mic, mandolin w/transducer and sometimes with electric guitar. It works great for any instrument that doesn't have a volume control. It can switch completely off and has a variable sweep volume.

My instruments all have end pin jacks, so just plug in and the control is right at my fingertips.

They can be expensive, so do some shopping. I think you can find a 10' version for around $45. I found mine at Musicians Friend for less than that about a year ago. It eliminated other level stomp boxes and volume pedals on the floor for me.

EDIT: FWIW, I just looked up some online reviews on these cables. Some are not very good, so you may want to read up on them. Some say there are quality issues with the electronics going bad. We use 3 of them in the groups I play with and we have had no problems.

Some say they don't work well with a passive Piezo pickup like the Nasville, but it worked OK with mine into a Fishman Platinum and an amp, but even Taylor specifies active electronics, so I don't know.

The other reso has a Schertler with a pre as does the acoustic guitar. The mandolin is just a transducer without a preamp and the cable works fine with it. Obviously, levels are varying according to the pickup, electronics etc.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 9 Aug 2016 2:20 am    
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After looking at the Myers "The Grip" with the 3" mic, I think my pennies are going to go towards it. It's 1/4", but if I need to go direct to PA without 1/4" jacks, I have a couple of direct boxes.
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Stan Paxton


From:
1/2 & 1/2 Florida and Tenn, USA (old Missouri boy gone South)
Post  Posted 9 Aug 2016 4:11 am    
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OK, Jerry, appreciate the input. Cool I'll have a look around - shop. ...
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Mullen Lacquer SD 10, 3 & 5; Mullen Mica S 10 1/2 pad, 3 & 5; BJS Bars; LTD400, Nashville 112, DD-3, RV-3, Hilton VP . -- Gold Tone PBS sq neck; Wechter Scheerhorn sq neck. -- "Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone." -anon.-
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Chris Walke

 

From:
St Charles, IL
Post  Posted 9 Aug 2016 9:23 am    
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Scott Duckworth wrote:
I done some reading on the stick on pickups (that go right below the neck) and the info I get is that the dobro starts sounding like an electric acoustic guitar.
...


I use the Lace stick on, not the humbucker. I might go with the humbucker if I had to do it again, because the singlecoil is a bit noisy. I run it thru an EHX Hum Debugger pedal, which takes care of the problem.

I did not attach it at the base of the fretboard, but at the edge of the coverplate. It seems to pick up the resonator quality, but not like a mic would. I'd call it somewhere between a reso tone and a lap steel tone. In a loud band mix, with drums, it holds its own and cuts thru with a fairly reso quality sound. I run it thru a clean amp, no feedback issues, lots of headroom.
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Michael Maddex


From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
Post  Posted 9 Aug 2016 11:01 am    
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Some years ago I bought a used Republic Squareneck Tricone that came with a National Slimline pickup installed. There are no controls, it is just wired straight to the output jack. I built this little box which plugs into the guitar and then the instrument cable plugs into it. It works OK. In the photo on the right the back is removed.

Scott, I use one of these transformer plugs rather than a DI box to go from 1/4" to XLR for the mixer:

Both of these are small enough to fit in an instrument or mic case.

HTH. Sorry if either is a repeat.
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Scott Duckworth


From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
Post  Posted 9 Aug 2016 11:20 am    
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Thanks Michael for the tip. I have some of those inline transformers also.
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I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!
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